Thanks for the video! We ordered the same model with the super sofa, now we’ll know exactly what to look for next month when it comes in. Happy camping!
Great video and beautiful RV. The only thing I can think of was to check the waterline connection behind the toilet. Ours was loose and dripping. Come to think of it, check the sink fittings and drains for leaks. Again, I’ll say I’m glad you stayed with a GD, and if you’re ever in central Florida we’d love to meet up for a campfire. 👍
Great advice, water connections are a must to check! We will be through central FL towards the end of the year. If we have a chance to meet up, we'll defiantly let you know!
Nice PDI & truck. We have an F450 for our 375RES. Thankfully the dealer has a campground where it was purchased. So after the initial PDI, I got to stay and do an overnight shakedown. That was great bc then it revealed some small issues that was immediately resolved.
Glad to hear your bubble disappeared. Ours has two small ones. We gears it can happen from gasses when the glue is curing or from not allowing the glue to set up long enough. As long as our stay the same size we aren't too concerned. There is a video on yt about roof bubbles out out by Keystone RV.
Wow, that's a gigantic fith weel RV and really nice looking. I have the little brother grand design. Imagine 225RK model. I definitely was paying attention and learned a lot from this video. I appreciate the P d I walk through👍🏻👍🏻
The bubble may have disappeared later on the roof, but that still means that the roof wasn't properly glued to the base wood surface. So it is more likely to balloon at a later time while going down the road.
We made sure it was well documented by our dealer if any problems arise in the future. GD and many other manufacturers deem these small bubbles "acceptable" so there's not really a way to presue a repair until it causes a problem. At least in our case.
I am seeing a lot of GD folks trading or selling their units after only one year. I’m having a hard time find reviews on trailers after let’s say 3 plus years. We are purchasing a used Solitude 390LK just trying to hear some reviews of people still loving their units after a few years.
Our "new" Grand Design purchase (May of 2021) is the worst experience we've ever had! I would avoid this company their products at All Costs!! Our trailer broke in September of last year and went into repair on October 15th. We have not had use of it since and it still isn't fixed... Our dealer, has been waiting for Work Order approval for 4 months. We've given up.
So sorry to hear. Do you mind elaborating a bit on how your "trailer broke"? If it's a design issue, we'd like to keep an eye on our rig for the same problem. Also, have you contacted GD customer service directly and started a case file regarding the problem?
@@TravelsAbound Slide Out issues with out-of-square slide out. Yes, file started with GD Customer Service. They even towed the trailer back to factory to have it rebuilt. They sent it back with damaged slide (shoe)and refused to acknowledge that they didn't correct the problem even after the dealer provided a report/pictures detailing the problem. It has sat now for 4 months with GD failing to approve the work order to fix it. I was left with no option but to get a lawyer. They agreed to buy it back but that was 3 weeks ago and yet no check issued...
The big issues with the Grand Design RV’s is their frames and suspension hangers are weak points. The frame and suspension support points are subject to cracking and weak welding separations. In fact there is a recall on certain models of the suspension hangers coming apart from the frame. It is very important to not only check out the interior and exterior areas but also the undercarriage and suspension support points.
It is not a Grand Design only issue. Lippert Component Inc. (LCI) in Elkhart, Indiana is the main supplier for most U.S. towable RV frames and hangers. There is a known hanger issue but it is across most brands, not just Grand Design. More recently though, LCI hangers are braced with welded steel and the frames above the hangers have added support to prevent flex. Our 2019 GD did not have the bracing and the hangers did bend. LCI stepped up and immediately had a mobil tech come to our location to replace the hangers and install extra bracing. Our 2021 GD and 2022 GD came with the extra bracing.
@@TravelsAbound Does this not effect the quality of the RV? Lippert only builds the frames to the RV manufacturers specifications, and I’ll call that a manufacturers defect that effects Grand Designs image and quality controls! And, yes this is an industry wide problem so why doesn’t Grand Design change their specifications to increase their quality. That’s the million dollar question!
@@TravelsAbound I have a 2018 Jayco 321 fithwheel and the left and right side front cap is separating from the bottom. Repair shop says this is a common problem he has been seeing with the Lippert. Camper stays in a storage building unless camping and the the gel coat on the top of my front cap has already faded and looks horrible. Same repair shop said many time he had to go to the dealers lot and repaint the cap on new units because the caps were not baked long enough. Its all about quantity than quality now a days. I have come to the conclusion that weather you buy a 90k unit are a 50k unit its a crap shoot. They all fall apart and its said..............
Thanks! This video is nothing really in detail but you're absolutely correct. Some dealerships (so we've heard) don't even look at half of this stuff lol. Thanks for watching!
Take out extra insurance on the roof, it's cheap. Also, your gonna need a role of eternabond tape and plenty of dicor. The roof will fail at some point, they all do. At 5 months old my Solitudes roof is delaminating everywhere. It's not a big deal to fix if it becomes an issue though. Cut it, reglue, and seal. If it fails completely that's what the insurance is for. Pull the storage panel wall and check the back of the water manifold as well. My pump and several of the fittings were leaking slowly from day one.
Thanks! We'll definitely check into extra insurance. We do carry a few tubes of Alpha sealant and a roll of eternabond just in case. 8 months in for us with this rig and no delamanition of the roof yet but I am definitely keeping an eye out. That's terrible that you are having such trouble with yours. Since your rig is only 5 months old, will GD not replace it under warranty?
@@TravelsAbound we full time as well, I don't have months to wait in one area to have it done. I don't plan on keeping this rig more than 2 years anyway. They will cover it if/when it fails though.
Yeah, this is a "key things" video on things I look for that could be seriously wrong with a new rig. I could have gone over every square inch and made this video an hour long but I chose not to. Thanks for watching!
@@TravelsAbound I’ve been researching it all night long. Apparently it’s a huge issue with grand designs and the roofs have been ballooning and coming off on a huge amount of trailers. Grand designs keeps saying it’s normal and won’t respond to the issues people have been reporting. Reeeeally starting to regret this purchase. Should of researched travel trailers a bit more than I did. Huge mistake on my end. One that’s going to cost me 8-10k for a new roof on a brand new trailer more than likely. My roof looks nothing like yours.. it’s absolutely embarrassing the way mine looks. I’ve only seen a few worse than mine on TH-cam but it’s up there… yours looked damn near perfect In the video with just the one big bubble.
That's terrible 😕. Did you send pictures to GD and they responded in writing that it was normal and they wouldn't repair it? I'm only thinking of a paper trail in the future if you do have problems there'd be proof they refused to repair the original problem (bubbles)..... If you are on FB, join the "GDRV4LIFE" group and show your issue and ask what others have done to get theirs fixed. Some of GD higher up people monitor that group too and sometimes reach out to help. Hope you get it resolved.
I own a 2022 GD Momentum 395MS and I took ownership in Dec of 21 and on our maiden trip from Cali to Vermont my brand new toy hauler’s frame broke in several places. It was non useable from 5-22 until now 3-23. The consumer affairs department told my service manager in order to receive compensation from payments that I made while it sat broken down , I’d have to sign a release of liability to GD favor. PISS POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. STAY CLEAR FROM GD.
Thanks for the video! We ordered the same model with the super sofa, now we’ll know exactly what to look for next month when it comes in. Happy camping!
Congratulations!!! Yall are going to love it. Thank you for watching!
Great video. We didn’t record our PDI but we went through it just as good and we love how everything worked out.
Thank you!
Great video and beautiful RV. The only thing I can think of was to check the waterline connection behind the toilet. Ours was loose and dripping. Come to think of it, check the sink fittings and drains for leaks.
Again, I’ll say I’m glad you stayed with a GD, and if you’re ever in central Florida we’d love to meet up for a campfire. 👍
Great advice, water connections are a must to check! We will be through central FL towards the end of the year. If we have a chance to meet up, we'll defiantly let you know!
Nice to see a fellow electrician checking the plugs etc.
Sorry for the late comment, I’m watching all your old videos. Good thing you got on the roof. A lot of lap sealant touch up needed up there.
Thanks for watching!
Nice PDI & truck. We have an F450 for our 375RES. Thankfully the dealer has a campground where it was purchased. So after the initial PDI, I got to stay and do an overnight shakedown. That was great bc then it revealed some small issues that was immediately resolved.
Glad to hear your bubble disappeared. Ours has two small ones. We gears it can happen from gasses when the glue is curing or from not allowing the glue to set up long enough. As long as our stay the same size we aren't too concerned. There is a video on yt about roof bubbles out out by Keystone RV.
Great info! We'll go watch that video. Thanks!
Wow, that's a gigantic fith weel RV and really nice looking. I have the little brother grand design. Imagine 225RK model. I definitely was paying attention and learned a lot from this video. I appreciate the P d I walk through👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks for watching!
@@TravelsAbound 👍🏻👍🏻
The bubble may have disappeared later on the roof, but that still means that the roof wasn't properly glued to the base wood surface. So it is more likely to balloon at a later time while going down the road.
We made sure it was well documented by our dealer if any problems arise in the future. GD and many other manufacturers deem these small bubbles "acceptable" so there's not really a way to presue a repair until it causes a problem. At least in our case.
@@TravelsAbound yeah they deem everything okay, that's the way of dealing with putting on sub standard products.
I am seeing a lot of GD folks trading or selling their units after only one year. I’m having a hard time find reviews on trailers after let’s say 3 plus years. We are purchasing a used Solitude 390LK just trying to hear some reviews of people still loving their units after a few years.
Our "new" Grand Design purchase (May of 2021) is the worst experience we've ever had! I would avoid this company their products at All Costs!! Our trailer broke in September of last year and went into repair on October 15th. We have not had use of it since and it still isn't fixed... Our dealer, has been waiting for Work Order approval for 4 months. We've given up.
So sorry to hear. Do you mind elaborating a bit on how your "trailer broke"? If it's a design issue, we'd like to keep an eye on our rig for the same problem. Also, have you contacted GD customer service directly and started a case file regarding the problem?
@@TravelsAbound Slide Out issues with out-of-square slide out. Yes, file started with GD Customer Service. They even towed the trailer back to factory to have it rebuilt. They sent it back with damaged slide (shoe)and refused to acknowledge that they didn't correct the problem even after the dealer provided a report/pictures detailing the problem. It has sat now for 4 months with GD failing to approve the work order to fix it. I was left with no option but to get a lawyer. They agreed to buy it back but that was 3 weeks ago and yet no check issued...
Thank you for sharing. So sorry.
The big issues with the Grand Design RV’s is their frames and suspension hangers are weak points. The frame and suspension support points are subject to cracking and weak welding separations. In fact there is a recall on certain models of the suspension hangers coming apart from the frame. It is very important to not only check out the interior and exterior areas but also the undercarriage and suspension support points.
It is not a Grand Design only issue. Lippert Component Inc. (LCI) in Elkhart, Indiana is the main supplier for most U.S. towable RV frames and hangers. There is a known hanger issue but it is across most brands, not just Grand Design. More recently though, LCI hangers are braced with welded steel and the frames above the hangers have added support to prevent flex. Our 2019 GD did not have the bracing and the hangers did bend. LCI stepped up and immediately had a mobil tech come to our location to replace the hangers and install extra bracing. Our 2021 GD and 2022 GD came with the extra bracing.
@@TravelsAbound Does this not effect the quality of the RV? Lippert only builds the frames to the RV manufacturers specifications, and I’ll call that a manufacturers defect that effects Grand Designs image and quality controls! And, yes this is an industry wide problem so why doesn’t Grand Design change their specifications to increase their quality. That’s the million dollar question!
@@TravelsAbound I have a 2018 Jayco 321 fithwheel and the left and right side front cap is separating from the bottom. Repair shop says this is a common problem he has been seeing with the Lippert. Camper stays in a storage building unless camping and the the gel coat on the top of my front cap has already faded and looks horrible. Same repair shop said many time he had to go to the dealers lot and repaint the cap on new units because the caps were not baked long enough. Its all about quantity than quality now a days. I have come to the conclusion that weather you buy a 90k unit are a 50k unit its a crap shoot. They all fall apart and its said..............
Good job the sales people should watch this video they might learn something 🤔
Thanks! This video is nothing really in detail but you're absolutely correct. Some dealerships (so we've heard) don't even look at half of this stuff lol. Thanks for watching!
Take out extra insurance on the roof, it's cheap. Also, your gonna need a role of eternabond tape and plenty of dicor. The roof will fail at some point, they all do. At 5 months old my Solitudes roof is delaminating everywhere. It's not a big deal to fix if it becomes an issue though. Cut it, reglue, and seal. If it fails completely that's what the insurance is for. Pull the storage panel wall and check the back of the water manifold as well. My pump and several of the fittings were leaking slowly from day one.
Thanks! We'll definitely check into extra insurance. We do carry a few tubes of Alpha sealant and a roll of eternabond just in case. 8 months in for us with this rig and no delamanition of the roof yet but I am definitely keeping an eye out. That's terrible that you are having such trouble with yours. Since your rig is only 5 months old, will GD not replace it under warranty?
@@TravelsAbound we full time as well, I don't have months to wait in one area to have it done. I don't plan on keeping this rig more than 2 years anyway. They will cover it if/when it fails though.
I completely understand that! Waiting months on service is not on the agenda. Safe travels to yall!
The bubbles on the roof do not look good to us! Did you find out what was causing them?
No clue why they were there but they have since disappeared.
Tire pressure, tv, microwave can it cook, hitch box. Didn’t see them get checked.
Yeah, this is a "key things" video on things I look for that could be seriously wrong with a new rig. I could have gone over every square inch and made this video an hour long but I chose not to. Thanks for watching!
I’ve Heard their frames have been cheapened up and are failing a different stress Points
Our 2022 3100rd has about 30 big bubbles… dealer said it was normal 😑 fingers crossed it goes away like yours did…
Oh wow! Ours disappeared after a week or so and has not returned. Hopefully yours will do the same.
@@TravelsAbound I’ve been researching it all night long. Apparently it’s a huge issue with grand designs and the roofs have been ballooning and coming off on a huge amount of trailers. Grand designs keeps saying it’s normal and won’t respond to the issues people have been reporting. Reeeeally starting to regret this purchase. Should of researched travel trailers a bit more than I did. Huge mistake on my end. One that’s going to cost me 8-10k for a new roof on a brand new trailer more than likely. My roof looks nothing like yours.. it’s absolutely embarrassing the way mine looks. I’ve only seen a few worse than mine on TH-cam but it’s up there… yours looked damn near perfect In the video with just the one big bubble.
That's terrible 😕. Did you send pictures to GD and they responded in writing that it was normal and they wouldn't repair it? I'm only thinking of a paper trail in the future if you do have problems there'd be proof they refused to repair the original problem (bubbles)..... If you are on FB, join the "GDRV4LIFE" group and show your issue and ask what others have done to get theirs fixed. Some of GD higher up people monitor that group too and sometimes reach out to help. Hope you get it resolved.
I own a 2022 GD Momentum 395MS and I took ownership in Dec of 21 and on our maiden trip from Cali to Vermont my brand new toy hauler’s frame broke in several places. It was non useable from 5-22 until now 3-23. The consumer affairs department told my service manager in order to receive compensation from payments that I made while it sat broken down , I’d have to sign a release of liability to GD favor. PISS POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. STAY CLEAR FROM GD.
Bubbles on the roof are very concerning.
We agree. It has since magically disappeared but it was well documented! Hoping no issues down the road.
The bubbles can be from Lack of glue or the Gasses from the glue being trapped under the material.
All rvs are garbage top to bottom end to end... just my opinion as a rv tech...
bubbles are never good